[Terri]

Zhe'ira Ae 'Zhei'

A pitiful yowl could be heard, only if one was listeneing very, very carefully.  Down at the base of the mighty volcano, an Arkuhna seemed to have gotten herself into a bit of a jam.  Or rather, a hole.

She had been walking along, minding her own business, when suddenly the ground had given way beneath her and she found herself at the bottom of a pit, maybe eight feet deep.  She had tried clawing her way out, but to no avail.  So now she had resorted to merely sitting at the bottom of the pit, yowling insanely.  Perhaps someone would come by and rescue her.

[Becca]

Armageddon trotted along through the steam of the volcanic area. He had been out for a while, doing his daily training. His ears pricked at the sound of the yowl. He knew it was another kuhna, probably a female. He decided to see what was the matter.

Approaching the lip of the hole, he peered in. He tilted his head at the Arkuhna. She was pretty, that was for sure. "Um, are you alright?" he asked, knowing it was a stupid question. "I can get you out of there if you want."

[Terri]

As the Kamo's handsome head peered out over the hole, the Arkuhna breathed a sigh of relief.  Somebody was here.

Yes, please.  She somehow kept the edge out of her voice, which wasn't a task easily done.  Her mood had quickly plummeted with her body as she fell, and she was mildly surprised to find her tone light and even as she spoke.  It's a bit uncomfortable down here.

[Becca]

"I expect it is." Arma laughed. He pulled a large branch from some long dead tree over to the hole. Making sure that it would not fall in, he positioned it so that the Arkuhna could easily jump onto it and climb out. "Be careful, I'm sure it won't, but it just might give way." He padded out along to about halfway then trotted back to the top. "Nope, it won't."

[Terri]

She smiled, sniffing the branch.  She set a forepaw onto the bark, testing its stability.  After batting at the branch a few times she leapt atop it, satisfied, and trotted up and out.  As her last paw left the branch, the makeshift bridge shifted, falling into the hole that had so recently held her captive.  The Kuhna smiled grimly at the hole, then turned back to her savior.

Thank you, she mewled, inclining her head slightly.  Thank you very much, um...?  She paused and tilted her head enquiringly, having to name to sub in.

[Becca]

"Armageddon." said the Kamo. He smiled at the female. "What is your name?" he asked. Arma paused then added, "And how did you get in that hole? If you mind my asking." The only holes that he had seen were easy to see, and weren't that deep.

[Terri]

She nodded politely.  Nice to meet you, Armageddon.  Zhe'ira Ae's my name, but I'd much rather be called Zhei.  She paused, tilting her head to the side, thinking.  How had she managed to fall into that hole?  Not quite sure.  One moment I was walking, the next I was falling.  Perhaps I just wasn't paying attention?  My mind has been on...other things, lately.

[Becca]

Arma nodded in sympathy. "I know what you mean..." he said. "Its very hard to think about one thing, and watch where you are going. I ran into a wall only this morning." Arma grinned and rubbed his nose. "At least I didn't go through the glass."

[Terri]

She had to stifle a giggle.  A glass wall!?  I don't think I've done that before.  A lopsided smile later, the Arkuhna was on her paws, looking at their surroundings in interest.

You ever been to the top of the volcano?  When she had come to Nori, Zhei had an intention in mind.  But with such a bad start to her little quest, she was questioning the idea.

[Becca]

"No, I have not." said Arma. He looked up at the peak. "Though I would like to." He smiled at Zhei. "How about we go up there together? It would be fun!" Arma bounced around like a kitten. He was known for it. His nickname was even 'The Playful Soldier'...

[Terri]

[[ Hehe, Arm! :D  I read some of that a while back. <3 ]]

Zhei nodded, her feet dancing on the ground, itching to start the climb.  I hear there's a wonderful view from the top.  She paused.  Someone told me once that if you can reach the top of the volcano, you can see the spirits of those you love.  That everything glows red, and you can find the silhouettes of people close to you.  If you look very hard.

[Becca]

Armageddon's eyes widened. "Wow. That sounds cool." he said. He bounced around more eagerly now. "Well, standing here isn't gonna get us to the top." he said. Arma smiled at Zhei  and walked over to a small footpath. "After you." he said, bowing and waiting for her.

[[Yus! I luff his nickname. X3]]

[Terri]

She smiled.  Yes, very cool. She followed Arma to the little footpath, and nodded as she put a paw on the dirt.  She was walking rather slowly, and her eyes kept flicking back to the ground; she had no wish to fall back into a hole, or worse, down the mountain.

This walk may take a while.  Tell me something about yourself, to pass the time?  Better yet, let's play twenty questions.  She smiled back at him, moving over on the path to make room for him to pad along beside her.

[Becca]

"Alright." said Arma, grinning. He thought about what to say for a moment. "Well, I have no siblings..." he said. "And I live in a home with about ninety other pets." he added, grimacing a bit. "Its quite crowded... What about you?"

[Terri]

She chuckled vaguely.  No siblings to my name either, though Volcanicity's Realm--the name for my Zoo Pen--has an...abundance of pets, everything from Floranas to Battlehearts.  It's not crowded, really.  It is cramped, though.  I need my space.  She tilted her head to the side, her paws thrumming steadily on the ground beneath them.  Maybe I'm too snappy.  At any rate, I often come around here to get away from all the bustle.

That bustle could be translated into her two kits, Alicc and Violette.  In truth, they're the reason she was out here today.  Poor Zhei hadn't the slightest clue how to be a mother, and the sudden responsibility had her quite stressed out.